Cheruiyot wants stringent measures to help improve Kenya’s performance

Philip Muchiri in Doha

Newly crowned 1,500m World champion Timothy Cheruiyot has called for stringent measures to increase the number of medals from the middle distance race.

Despite easily winning gold in 3:29.26 minutes on the final day of the World Athletics Championships in Doha on Sunday, Cheruiyot is worried that the distance between him and the other Kenyans in the race shows lack of competition, despite a well planned teamwork which lasted for the first 1,200m.

“We have many Kenyans in 1,500m, and everyone including the coaches has seen the gap between me and Kwemoi, we surely missed Manang’oi but I am sure he will be back for the Olympics and we will be able to push,” he told Citizen Digital.

The elated Cheruiyot however couldn’t hide his joy after upgrading from silver won in London 2017.

“It has been a long journey since 2017 when I won silver and now I’m a World champion, my plan with the coaches was to complete in under 3:30 and that is what I did, the aim was to run from the front,” he added, attributing the win to the Prisons department who promoted him to a rank of a Prisons Inspector just days before leaving for Doha.

“The promotion shows how they value me and I appreciate every moment,” he noted.

Ronald Kwemoi managed a seventh place finish in 3:32.72.

In the 10,000m final, youngster Rhonex Kipruto’s efforts to give Kenya the title that has eluded the team for 17 years fell short in the final 150m after being outsprinted by the much experienced Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei and Ethiopian Yomif Kajelcha to settle for bronze in 26:50.32.

The World U20 champion who was taking part in the Worlds seniors for the first time says the experience gained will be useful for Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“The race was good, this medal has motivated me to even do better come next year, the opponents were very strong and experienced, I thank God that even with their sprint I ended up right behind them,” Kipruto explained after the race.

His counterpart could not match up with the last minute sprint but managed a fourth place finish in a personal best of 26:55.36.

“The pace got a bit quick towards the end and I couldn’t match although I have an injury that has troubled me for a while,” he said.

Kenya’s team captain Julius Yego failed to make a mark in the first three attempts in the Men’s Javelin Final, only to be thrown out of the competition.

“It’s just bad luck, and that is part of sports, I competed well today and there is nothing to worry about,” he said.